1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle electric-power conversion apparatus utilized for a vehicle rotating electric machine equipped in a vehicle such as a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle rotating electric machine, a full-wave rectification method is generally employed in which, as a rectification element, a diode is utilized; however, in order to further enhance the efficiency, a rectification method has been utilized in which, as a rectification element, a switching element is utilized so as to reduce a loss in a rectification element.
A vehicle electric-power conversion apparatus has already been proposed in which a switching element is utilized as a rectification element, and the switching element is on/off-controlled, based on the rotation position, of the rotor of a vehicle rotating electric machine, which is detected through a position detection means (e.g., refer to Patent Document 1).
In the case of the conventional apparatus set forth in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-218797), phase control for the on/off operation of a switching element is performed by use of a position detection means for detecting the rotation position of the rotor of a vehicle rotating electric machine; however, it has been difficult to cope with a case in which, for example, a load fluctuation causes the original mechanical rotation position corresponding to a phase at which the switching element has to be turned on/off to vary in real time.